I-Corps: A Novel Knee Sleeve that Provides Dynamic Motion Restraint to Abnormal Loading

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of evidence-based interventions to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury associated with greater knee joint laxity. Knee injuries account for ~50% of all acute musculoskeletal injuries in physically active individuals and military personnel and can result in substantial health care costs and reduced quality of life.

Individuals (particularly young females) who have greater knee joint laxity have more difficulty in stabilizing the knee during sport activity and have a greater risk of knee ligament injury. Thus, therapeutic interventions that enhance functional joint stability in those with excessive joint laxity are critically needed from both an injury prevention and rehabilitation standpoint.

The proposed innovation is intended to fulfill this critical need by designing an external knee support to enhance joint protection and ensure safe motion limits are not exceeded during physical activity. When injury does occur, the technology also may be used to protect and support the knee while ligaments are healing. The technology may function as a stand-alone protective device but, ideally, would be used in conjunction with a comprehensive injury prevention or rehabilitation neuromuscular training program designed to increase functional stability of the knee.

This I-Corps project is based on the development of a knee support that is customized to an individual’s knee laxity profile to provide dynamic motion limits when prescribed thresholds are reached. While external knee supports are readily available on the market, initial customer discovery research suggests a gap in the market for devices focused on injury prevention and the treatment of excessive knee joint laxity.

Project activities will: 1) test the hypothesis that the proposed technology addresses an important gap in injury prevention and rehabilitation, 2) solidify the target market and customers who would most benefit from the technology, and 3) refine the value proposition of external knee supports, including what the pain points are, and what the desired features and performance characteristics are that would enhance the perceived value. This effort also will advance knowledge of the knee brace industry including key manufacturers, modes of distribution, and potential price points based on other devices customers currently purchase or recommend or are prescribed to them. The potential to apply this innovation to other joints of the body also will be explored.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.